Yesterday (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) on the local Catholic radio station there was a talk program with a woman host and a regular priest guest. On one topic the priest mentioned something about which I had never heard.

He said that if he were pastor of a church, in addition to a number of Ash Wednesday services, he would leave the ashes available for self-administration. There was no mention of documental permission for that practice, but the justification he gave was that the ashes are a sacramental (not a sacrament) and like holy water could be self-administered even by a layperson!

I would consider self-administration, even if legal(?), a poor substitute for normal administration (even by a lay minister).

[There was then some discussion between him and the host about the differences between men and women in the wearing of ashes with the consensus that a mirror would be needed for self-administration by women.]

Not sure, but one aspect is that the ashes are symbolic, not sacramental - perhaps regulations on self administration do not apply.

Father?

_________________It is true that all roads to success are under construction. It is easy to say because, in this city, all roads are under construction. The real surprise is that success lies not in the road, but in the destination. If you don't go to heaven, your life is a failure!

I'm not sure I can point to something that says, "Thou shalt not self-adminster ashes," but I'm afraid I rather think this falls into the category of things that should be so obvious as not to need an instruction.

I'm not sure I can point to something that says, "Thou shalt not self-adminster ashes," but I'm afraid I rather think this falls into the category of things that should be so obvious as not to need an instruction.

Just so there is no mistake: I was against the idea from the time I heard the priest mention it on the radio.

However, I am not quite as sure it belongs in our usual understanding of "category of things that should be so obvious as not to need an instruction".

Not that I am for it either but, in the Book of Job - no one else administered the ashed to Job - it was his job.

_________________It is true that all roads to success are under construction. It is easy to say because, in this city, all roads are under construction. The real surprise is that success lies not in the road, but in the destination. If you don't go to heaven, your life is a failure!